Method of and apparatus for testing cans



March 2 1926.

Filed Feb. 18, 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN'VE/Y TOR.

LOUIS H. PETERS.

ATTORNEY-S.

March 2 1926.

L. H. PETERS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CANS Filed Feb. 18,1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A T' TORNEYS Patented Mar. 2 1926. 2

UNITED STATES,

rooms 11. nurses, or OAKLAND, camron'nra.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TESTING CANS.

Application filed February 18, 1924. Serial No. 893,556.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. Pumas, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Methods of and A paratus forTesting Cans, of which the ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to can machinery and particularly pertains to arotary tester tor filled cans.

At the present time it isin most instances diflicult to determine when afilled can is leaking or when its seams are sufiiciently weak so thatthe can may afterwards leak due to the action of thematerial containedtherein. It is common practice to test the cans by a hand testingdevice, or by a device which will puncture the can. Both of thesemethods are objectionable, in that the o eration is costly and requiresconsiderable time, and when the cans are punctured destroys the can thustested and only permits an occasional can down the complete run to betested.

It is the object of the present invention, therefore, to provide anautomatic rotary tester which will test each can as itcomes from thedouble steamer or cooker, and to positively insure that all faulty cansmay be rejected.

The present invention contemplates testing cans by creating a suctionaction on the end of the cap which will be sufficient to distend the endof the cap a ainst the internal .vacuum of the can, which, if the canhas been properly sealed, will cause the ca to snap bac to its originalposition, said testing action being brought about by the use of a rotarystructure embodying a spider for spacing the cans, and means operatinthe opposite sides of said spiders to hold t e cans and to create asuction u on the ends of each can as they are carrie b the spider, afterwhich the cans are ejecte The invention is illustrated by way ofexliltmlple in the accompanying drawings, in w 10 'Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation showing the complete device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in central transverse section through therotary head of the device indicating the manner in which cans are testedto disclose a satisfactory and faulty can.

Referring more particularly to the accompanyin drawings, 10 indicates asupporting ase w ich may be of any desired configuration, and which isfitted with "horizontally disposed bearings 11. These bearings receive ashaft 12 upon which are mounted a s ider 13 and a pair of rotary heads14 an 15. The spider and the heads which are disposed upon oppositesides thereof are.

all fixed and rotate in unison with the shaft 12. The head 14, whichwill be hereinafter designated as a suction head, is formed with ahollow suction chamber 16 in communication through a bore 17 with acounterbore 18 formed in the end of the shaft 12. This counterbore isdirectly connected by a suction pipe 19 with a suction pump 20 suitablysupported upon the frame 10 of the machine.

Mounted u on the suction head 14 are a plurality of chucks 21 which arecarried upon spindles 22 extending through the wall 23 of the suctionhead, across the chamber 16, and into a counterbore 24: in the oppositewall 25 of the suction head. The spindles 22 are hollow and communicatewith an openingthrou h the chuck plates 21. The lower end 0 this openingis formed with a beveled face to receive a tappet valve 26, the stem 27of which extends through the spindle 22 and rojects outwardly through anopening in t e wall '24 of the head, the stem being adjustable by itsthreaded end. This valve will be opened as chuck plate 21 moves tocompress spring 28 when chuck plate 31 moves with a can.

The face of thechuck plate 21 is fitted with a packing gasket 29 adaptedto rest against the rim of a can and cap, as for example, the doubleseamed portion of the HEISSUED can and cap, so that an air-tight jointmay be created between these two parts, as a packing gasket 30 is alsofitted around the spindle 22 to prevent leakage of air from within thechamber 16 of the head 14.

The spider 13 is formed around its circumferential edge with a pluralitof semicircular recesses adapted to receive the cans and to properlyposition them relative to the chuck plate21. This member also acts as atimer," in that it receives the complete flow of cans and causes thecans to be automaticall positioned relative to the various chuck p ates21.

The rotary head 15 carries a plurality of movable chuck plates 31. Theseplates are whilebeing advanced by the rotary structure. The cans areclamped in position after they have been delivered to the s ider 13 fromthe chute 34, this action ing brought about by the rise on the face of35 along which the rollers 33 are assing. The-cam will release therollers, 0 course, when the chucks reach the point where the cans are tobe taken off the machine and passed along the runway 36.

The period during which the cam 35 is effective is the same period asthat of the cam 28 which actuates the valve members 26 and permits suchan action to be exerted against the cap of the can.

The structure is operated by any suitable driving means, as for example,the motor 37, which drives a worm gear '38 in turn rotating gears 39 and40. The gear 40 is in mesh with a gear 41 fixed on the central shaft 12of the tester. Suitable gearing also connects the compressor 20 with themotor so that a continuous suction action will be exerted through thetank 42 and the conduit 19.

In operation of the present invention, the device is assembled as shownin the drawlugs and a complete machine is driven by the motor 37. A fiowof cans is delivered to the chute 34, which cans will find seats withinrecesses of the spider 13. As the rotary head revolves, the roller 33 ofthe chuck will encounter the swell portions of the cam, thus causing thechuck plate 31 to clamp the can against the gasket 29 of the oppositechuck plate 21. The valve 26 will be moved from its seat and will causea suctionaction to be exerted on the end of cam be the cap through thechamber 16 of the -chuck 31 has been retracted and the valve 26 hasmoved to its closed position.

If it so happens that the can is sealed perfectly tight, the atmosphericpressure on the'outside of the can and the vacuum within the can willcause the distended caIp to snap back into its normal position. f thecan leaks, this action will not. take place and an operator may thensegregate and reject the faulty cans which wil a 1 appear with the capon the tested end of the can permanently distended. It will beunderstood that due to the multiplicity of spindles and pairs of chucks,a number of cans may be tested inrapid succession, and a machine ofgreat capacity thus produced.

It will thus be seen that the structure here disclosed will acteffectively and rapidly to test cans without mutilating the cans, whilepermanently indicatin their condition after the test .and permittingthem to thus be readily segregated.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known tome,it is to be understood that various changes may made in its constructionwithout departing from the spirit of' the invention, as shown in theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A method of testing filled cans-consist-' ing in forming a sealaround the edge of a closed can end, thereafter creating suction upon aportion of the seal, whereby the end of the can will be distended, afterwhich the distension of the end will remain permanent if the can isfaulty.

2. An apparatus for testing filled cans comprising a mem the edge of aclosed end of a can, means for creating sufficient suction between themember and the closed can end whereby the can end will be distended, andwill remain distended when said suction is interrupted if the can isfaulty.

3. An apparatus for testing leaks in'filled cans, comprising a pair ofchucks fitting against the opposite closed ends of a can and betweenwhich the can may be clamped, one chuck bearing against the edge of thecan end only and means for creating suflicient suction between the lastnamed chuck and the adjacent can and whereby said can end will becomedistended and will remain distended it the can is vfaulty aftersaidsuction has been interrupted.

A rotary can tester comprising a can ber adapted to fit against the canend embraced by feed chute, a rotary spider having recesses in itscircumferential edge for receiving the successive cans from the feedchute, a pair of heads one disposed at each side of said spider androtating therewith, pairs of complementary chucks carried by said headsand adapted to clamp against the opposite ends of a can, means forautomatically producing said clamping action, means for automaticallycreating a suction action between one of the chucks of each pair and thecan head against .which it is clamped, whereby the end of the can willbecome distended, and if faulty, will remain so after the suction hasbeen interrupted, and means for carrying the tested can away from themachine.

- LUUIS H. PETERS I

